For all the criticism that has come its way this year, season 2014 is shaping up to be yet another exciting down to the wire affair when it comes to shaping the final eight.
As it stands, there are four clubs sitting at the door of the final eight that can still make it. Collingwood and the Gold Coast are out on percentage alone, whilst West Coast and a resurgent Richmond are one game clear of the eight. With West Coast’s very healthy 111.8 percentage, if results go its way this week it can move from 11th to seventh.
And for what it’s worth, round 21 will again present season defining matches, some of which may make or break top four and top eight aspirations.
Tonight Carlton takes on Geelong at Etihad Stadium. Geelong is on the verge of another top four berth, it now all depends on percentage and the final two rounds as to whether it finishes first, second or third. Carlton, on the other hand, is set to again miss out on September action, after another disappointing season, but will be bolstered knowing its champion midfielder Chris Judd has signed on for 2015, ending speculation about his retirement.
Saturday’s games see Sydney host St Kilda, Gold Coast take on Port Adelaide, Essendon play West Coast, Collingwood host Brisbane and Adelaide and Richmond go head to head at Adelaide Oval.
Sydney and St Kilda is arguably a dead rubber. The Saints are sitting last on the ladder by a nine per cent margin and the Swans are currently second, trailing Hawthorn by a similar percentage deficit. Earlier in the week, Sydney’s two-time premiership player Lewis Roberts-Thomson announced his immediate retirement after 179 games with the club.
But the remainder of today’s matches are all season defining.
Gold Coast must beat Port Adelaide at home if it is to keep its finals hopes alive. The Suns sit outside the top eight by an eight per cent margin and have lost three of their past five. Port Adelaide on the other hand is one game outside the top four (behind Fremantle) and that illustrious double-chance spot. It has lost four of its last five, including the last two on the trot, but still has a very healthy percentage and with Fremantle taking on Hawthorn this week, it might the Power’s chance to pounce.
Essendon versus West Coast paints a similar picture. The Bombers have had a tumultuous week in the courts, with the supplements scandal rife again.
After two losses in a row and sitting in the eight by the barest of margins, it will need to come out firing against a West Coast side which trumped Collingwood last week to the tune of 10 goals. Last week’s win sees the Eagles making a late surge for the eight and will leap frog Essendon if it wins, due to its healthy percentage.
Tonight Collingwood takes on Brisbane and Adelaide takes on Richmond.
Collingwood should win this one based on ladder position and experience, but having won only two of its past eight games, it will need to find another gear if it is going to make a late surge towards September.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has called on his players to lift their intensity if they are to progress further in 2014.
“We’re not shying away from the fact that we’re not playing our best footy, and there’s been a lot of elements in our game that haven’t come up to speed. Our contests, our ball movement, our defence. We’re not playing good footy at the moment,” he told CollingwoodTV.
Adelaide and Richmond on the other hand may come into their game a little cautiously. The Tigers are on a six game hot-streak and have emerged as potential September suitors after sitting at 3-10 earlier this season. A loss for Richmond will all but spell an end to its fairytale September run. A loss for the Crows won’t deem its season over, but it will put a huge dent in its finals aspirations.
Finally, Sunday’s games should see North Melbourne topple the Western Bulldogs to consolidate its position in the top eight. Melbourne and GWS will be an opportunity for both clubs to blood more youngsters and look toward 2015 and beyond as they build their young lists. And Fremantle hosts Hawthorn in Perth, which could be a teaser for round one of the finals, depending on final ladder positions.